The King of Merchants
by Sky2585
Summary: A oneshot about the time Celaena made her first kill as an assassin. Disclaimer: I do not anything but my story line, all rights go to rightful owners. Rated M because I'm paranoid about the violence.


The assassin moved with the grace of the wind as she drifted through the falling snow. Her black cloak billowed grandly and a large sword was strapped to her side, no doubt along with various other weapons. An armor made of black steel clung to her body. Yet she moved as if she were a weightless phantom.

But she was a phantom of sorts, a phantom of death. Her icy eyes were sharpened with wit and strength. Her every move was precise and elegant, she was trained to be lethal. Only every fiber in her being was screaming in rebellion to death's hand, to her own hand.

Her gloved fingers fiddled with knives to hide their shaking. It wasn't the cold that was seeping into her bones, but dread.

She was a weapon, she wasn't a killer. At least not yet. The assassin wondered where Ben was. He was supposed to meet her in the forest before the kill. Only it would not be her who slit the King of the Merchants as Peter Hygrafth so humbly called himself; it would be Ben.

Finally, she heard footsteps crunch the frozen snow behind her. She whirled around and felt terror pool in her stomach. Ben's familiar brown hair was replaced by tidy auburn waves and his kind eyes were steeled into emotionless grey.

Ben wasn't Ben at all. The man that stood before her was Arobynn Hamel, the King of Assassins. Her guardian… her boss. "Celaena," he greeted platonically. "Ben, unfortunately has found himself busy with another assignment, so I'll be the one to supervise."

Celaena had known it wouldn't last forever. She would eventually have to kill when Arobynn decided she didn't need a babysitter on jobs, but a small part of her had always hoped that even then, Ben would find a way to do it for her. Or maybe she would even find a way out of this entire thing herself. It was wishful thinking.

"Why did you come?" Celaena's voice was even and controlled, giving away nothing. "Couldn't you have found someone else? You run a guild of assassins, I would assume you have other matters that need to be seen to." She picked at her nails beneath her leather clad fingers, looking bored.

"Ahh, I can always make time to oversee my prodigy," the smile he gave her sent chills down her spine.

Her entire face was hidden except for her eyes, and she hoped they wouldn't reveal her as she withheld a grimace and lied, "Wonderful, this should be fun."

His silver eyes studied her carefully, "It's the King of Merchants, he's almost as revered as myself. This should be fun indeed."

Celaena grit her teeth and swallowed her emotions as they wordlessly made their way to the secluded manor on the perimeter of the forest. Snow clung to her eyelashes and a coldness had spread over her, leaving her somewhat numb. She only wished her heart was numb as well.

Arobynn was a steady reminder of the impending obvious, she would have to become a murderer, it was either that or be murdered. There wasn't a loophole or a trick she could manage to make it otherwise. For all her cleverness, she was paralyzed with fear.

They ducked behind a tree as a nearby guard passed by them. Hygrafth certainly took precautions. Before he knew what was happening, Celaena swiftly darted out behind him. With more force than necessary, she shoved him into a branch. He was tall enough that the branch collided with his forehead, leaving a bloody mark on the wood and a shallow gash on the guard's forehead.

"Not a very dignified way of doing it," remarked Arobynn. He cocked his head animalistically, waiting for an explanation.

Because, thought Celaena, I'm only going to kill as many men as I have to. Instead, she knowingly retorted, "If another guard finds his body it will set off alarms. If they were to find him like this," she gestured to the unconscious guard, "they'll assume he was overly uncoordinated and did this to himself. Besides, it makes sense, he could have slipped on the ice."

Arobynn gave her a grin, "Smart girl."

Celaena wanted to sag with relief at his words. They continued on to a more remote part of the manor, one where no guards patrolled. Celaena shrugged off her cloak and armor until she was left in tight black pants and a shirt. Her golden hair fell in a tight braid down to her waist.

The armor was only necessary for handling whatever guard or guards they came upon. She flourished two twin blades and stuck them into the nearby stone wall. It would only weigh her down for climbing.

The old stone was weak and soft, easily dented by the sharp metal. She began to ascend the wall. Her boots find the the grooves and dents while her hands consistently dug the knives in higher and higher, pulling herself upwards. Arobynn followed suit, climbing gracefully alongside her.

It wasn't long until they came to the window that was left open by the King of Merchant's wife, the one who had hired her to kill the man. They crawled inside, the warmth of a crackling fire melting the snow on their clothes.

The King of Merchants was asleep at his desk, softly snoring. He looked so peaceful, almost innocent. Celaena took in every angle and plane of his face, the flutter of his eyelashes as he dreamed. The memory would forever be ingrained into her head. She sucked in a breath and moved like deadly shadow, a new knife at the ready.

She could hear maids and servants bustling around outside the door but she knew they wouldn't enter. His wife had informed Celaena that he had a strict policy about nobody coming into his office, especially the help.

She had her wrist angled perfectly when Arobynn stepped forward, amusement coloring his features. The floorboard beneath his polished boots creaked. Hygrafth jolted awake. "Who's there?" He mumbled confusedly, rubbing his eyes.

Celaena moved. She slashed the blade swiftly across his throat and blood trickled onto her hands. His eyes were fully open and glazing over as he bled out. He collapsed onto his desk, his eyes never leaving Arobynn. He attempted to say something, but all that came out of his mouth was scarlet blood.

Arobynn let out a chuckle and Celaena forced herself to twist her lips into a smile. "He didn't put up much of a fight," he lamented.

If there was anybody she wanted to kill, it was Arobynn Hamel in that moment. But she laughed a strangled laugh and took one last look at the body. Her stomach lurched at the sight.

Blood pooled around where his head laid on the desk, his eyes were still open and staring at Arobynn, at her. Blood seeped from the gash on his throat, staining his expensive tunic. She couldn't but wish for a moment that it was her lying there dead.

 **Author's Note: Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed that short little one shot. I know it's kinda dark and disturbing but Halloween is right around the corner so it seemed fitting. If you liked it or have any thoughts or feelings let me know in a review. Thanks! XOXO- Skai.**


End file.
